1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to plastic barricades.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore a hollow plastic traffic barricade has been proposed as well as a hollow plastic support post for forming a barricade structure. Examples of such previously proposed plastic barricades and plastic support posts for barricade structures are disclosed in the following U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. PATENTEE ______________________________________ 3,880,406 Stehle et al. 3,950,873 Stehle et al. ______________________________________
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,406, there is disclosed a hollow plastic barricade which is made of first and second hollow plastic panel members each having hollow legs and each having a middle panel spaced above the bottom of the hollow legs. One panel has an upper panel portion extending angularly therefrom with respect to the middle panel such that the upper panel portion will extend generally vertically at the top of the plastic barricade when the first and second panel members are spread apart about hinges connecting the panel members together thereby to form the plastic barricade.
In use, the hollow plastic barricade is filled with a particulate ballast material, such as sand, at least half way up to give it ballast. In this way, when the plastic barricade is struck by a vehicle, it will collapse and fall under the vehicle resulting in no damage to the vehicle whereby the plastic barricade meets Federal Highway Administration standards which require that barricade devices not inflict any severe damage to a vehicle or to the occupants thereof when it is inadvertently stricken by a vehicle.
Plastic barricades of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,880,406 have proved very satisfactory except for the habits of highway constructions workers, who, notwithstanding the provision of a hollow barricadd which can be and is filled with sand, still continue to place sandbags over the middle panel. Such sandbags have caused the plastic barricade to sag and collapse and not fulfill its function.
As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, an experimental new plastic barricade was developed to overcome this deficiency. Such experimental model included identical frame members each including side frame portions, an upper panel, an intermediate panel spaced below the upper panel and a sandbag support bar all extending between the side frame portions. The two frame members were hinged together with a hinge arrangement much like that found on a clothespin and the sandbag support bar was located adjacent the bottom of two legs formed, respectively, at the lower end of each side frame portion. This experimental model of a plastic barricade after a period of trial uses encountered many failures because workmen continued to place sandbags over the middle panel and this caused sagging. More importantly, however, the clothespin type hinges at the top of each frame member and interconnecting the frame members did not have sufficient strength and cracked apart when the abutting surfaces of the hinge sections bore against each other and placed shear forces on the hinge pins. Also, the position of the sandbag support bar was too close to the ground and did not permit the plastic barricade to be positioned over uneven terrain such as rocks or over a curb.
As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the plastic barricade of the present invention provides two strong hinges wherein the bearing forces between the opposed sections of the hinge are located in planes substantially non-perpendicular to the frame members such that very few failures of the hinges are incurred. Also, the plastic barricade of the present invention provides a lower sandbag support bar which is spaced a sufficient distance above the bottom of the legs of the plastic barricade to permit the barricade to be supported by the legs on uneven terrain with a sandbag placed over the bar. Other improved features of the plastic barricade of the present invention are described in greater detail hereinafter.